1940s

The 1940s were dominated by World War II and St. Paul Bible Institute was not immune to its affects. Enrollment of male students plummeted during the first half of the decade. War shortages meant the choir did not tour around the country because of a lack of gas. However, after the G.I. Bill came into effect, the student population soared and a new men’s dorm was quickly needed! Thankfully, the strong leadership led the school through the tough times as well as the good times to ensure the future of the college.

Schedule and Cleaning

In the 1940s, the schedule was very different from today! The rising bell was at 5:45 a.m. with morning devotions at 6:00 a.m. At 6:45 a.m. breakfast was served in time for some room tidying before the first class at 8:00 a.m!

Every student also participated in the upkeep and cleaning of the campus. Twice a year, the entire college community would abandon books and classes to engage in campus cleanup day. With faculty supervising and working along with students, leaves would be raked, windows washed, hallways and bathrooms scrubbed.

An unintended consequence of campus cleanup day was a change in the dress code. The women had been advocating to be allowed to wear pants without success. The cleanup day finally gave them the winning argument: that pants were more modest when scrubbing floors and going up and down ladders!

Fifth President and Board of Trustees

In 1943, Dr. G.D. Strohm became the fifth president of the college. He served for sixteen years, the longest term out of all the presidents to date. The motto used by the school during this time, “Vision, Training, Service”, was created by Dr. Strohm.

Also in 1943, it was decided to form a distinct group, the Board of Trustees, to govern the institution instead of the Christian Missionary Alliance. Louis King (later to be a president of the C&MA) and A.W. Tozer were just a couple of members who served on the board during this time.

Men’s Dorm Construction

Groundbreaking for the much needed Men’s Dorm took place April 23, 1946. Due to post-war shortages, the building process was delayed. When students arrived in the fall, the men temporarily had to move into the cold attic of the new dorm building. They were very happy to move into their completed rooms in January! The Men’s Dorm housed 100 students, but also included a dining room, kitchen, and lounge.